Days Relived
by poeticandepic
Summary: Instead of the well loved Morgan he is replaced with the strong willed Regina Mills. Rick is saved by her and her son Henry from the oncoming walker apocalypse. What happens? And how much will the story change? Read to find out!
1. A Stern Warning

The blow he took to his face came as a surprise. Rick winced in pain falling back in to the dry grass. Who could have hit him?

"Mom," a boy shouted over him, "Mom!" He sounded so much like Carl. Could it be?

"Carl? Carl. I found you," he moaned.

"Mom I got him. I'm going to finish it," the boy gripped his shovel harder. Rick veered his eyes towards the women he called 'mom' with a pistol targeted at the figure that had been shuffling towards him. With no hesitation she fired. Her dark eyes fell on him. "Did he say something? I thought I heard him say something."

The dark haired boy shrugged. "He called me Carl," The women made her way towards the scene standing over the stranger with authority.

"You know they don't talk," she assured, but her brows frowned in doubt. "What's the bandage for?" her tone ordered. It was sharp, testing. This woman meant business

Rick attempted to sit up just as sharp as she pointed the gun towards him. He hesitated.

"W-what?" his eyes began to water from the blazing sun

"What kind of wound?" she cried. "You answer me. What's your wound?" Rick squinted looking down at his side. "You tell me…" she cocked the gun. "or I will kill you,"

Was she serious? She was really going to kill him? What was the world coming to? He opened his mouth to reply, to defend himself, although something held him back. His words felt like weights on his tongue. Rick's vision began spinning now, to see two figures fading. His eyes rolled back, soon to be completely unresponsive.

His eyes shoot open to the sound of footsteps nearing towards him. Rick's hands had been restrained with bungee cords tied to the bedpost. He laid there useless and pissed. Rick glared around the room trying his best to control his breathing.

The dark haired boy he'd seen before was standing at the entrance of the room with a bat close at hand. His lips were pressed tightly together frowning towards him

 _Snap!_

Rick turned his focus on the 'I will kill you' woman removing bloody gloves from her hands. She then placed them in a basin with soap and water.

"Got that bandage changed now." Her voice sounded a little more relaxed. " What was the wound?"

Rick cleared his throat. "Gunshot," he murmured. She turned to look in his blue fix searching for a lie.

"Gunshot?" she repeated.

Rick nodded. "What else? Anything?"

"Gunshot's not enough?" What was his issue? She just got through saving his life and now he wanted to get smart with her.

She stalked towards his bed side with her mouth pinched. Something made her feel good about the way she had tied him up. All those boy scout meetings with her son weren't for nothing.

"Look, I ask and you answer. That's common courtesy, right?" she asked. She waited for him to nod then leaned closely to his face. "Did you get bit?" Rick heard a shocking sound of empathy straining in her strict tone.

"Bit?"

"Bit, chewed, maybe scratched– Anything like that?" she tested.

"No, I got shot. Just shot as far as I know." He concurred, collecting his thoughts. The women reached out to feel his forehead but Rick filched back.

"Hey, just let me," she hummed. This time again, Rick let her cool contact graze his forehead.

"Feels cool enough. Fever would have killed you by now."

"I don't think I have one," She studied Rick's tired face.

"It would be hard to miss,"

All of the sudden she snatched a switchblade from her back pocket. Rick grunted feverishly. This lady was nuts. One second she seemed likable, the next chaotic. "Take a moment, look how sharp it is," she sneered moving the blade to his face. Rick ripped his eyes away. "You try anything, I will kill you with it and don't you think I won't."

She quickly turned the tables by snipping the cords that held Rick with a huff. "Come on out when you're ready," Rick watched her with bloodshot eyes. His chest tightened making it harder for him to breath. He was terrified. "Come on," she spoke to the boy.

Where was Carl? Where was Lori? He had to find his family.

It took him at least an hour to gather his thoughts together. Now, he was just tired of hearing himself think. What was the point when he didn't have any answers? So, he pulled the blanket from the bed, wrapping it around himself, and made his way downstairs. His eyes adjusted to the complete darkness between the stairs and the second floor. He made his way down stumbling a few times. On the ground floor now, he walked towards the only lit room.

The woman who had saved and threatened his life was lingering over the dining room table eyeing the boy who was serving began to get the feeling of familiarity. He searched around the room for answers then noticed the fine dishes in a cupboard beside him. "This place – Fred and Cindy Drakes'?"

"Never met them." The women curled a dark strand behind her ear.

"I've been here. This is their place" he confirmed catching a glance of a family photo.

"It was empty when we got here," Rick griped the blanket tightly around his shoulders making his way towards the window. Before he could get a peek, she stopped him.

"Don't do that." he snatched his hand away from the curtain. "They'll see the light. There's more of them out there than usual. I never should have fired that gun today. Sound draws them. Now they're all over the street." She put her palm to her forehead. "But it all happened so fast, I didn't think," Rick moved away from the window and to the table.

He watched her as she lifted a large tin can and set it on the table.

"You shot that man today." She shrugged settling herself in a seat.

"Man?"

"It wasn't a man," the boy said suddenly. Rick eyed him closely. Was he losing his mind?

"You shot him in the street out front – a man."

"You need glasses. It was a walker. Come on. Sit down before you fall down." She ordered" "Here,"

She started spooning food on to a plate for him. Rick felt his stomach grumble at the sight of it.

"Mom, let's give blessing," the boy said, finally sitting down across from his mother and next to Rick.

"Yeah," she said fixing a dirty look on Rick who had already took a few bites.

He took his mother's hand while she placed a hold on Rick's. The boy reached out to grasp Rick's other hand. Rick, with mistrust takes his offered hand anyway.

"Lord, we thank thee for this food, thy blessings." (she opens her eyes and looks at Rick) "And we ask you to watch over us in these crazy days. Amen."

"Amen," Rick and the boy dug in but the woman just sat there with a lingering stare.

"Do you even know what's going on?"

"I woke up today in the hospital, came home, that's all I know." He said pausing to speak then resumed back eating.

"But you know about the dead people, right?" she went on.

"Yeah, I saw a lot of that out on the loading dock, piled in trucks." His wiped his mouth with a napkin.

"No, not the ones they put down." He fidgeted in his seat. He suddenly became uncomfortable. "The ones they didn't– the walkers, like the one I shot today. Because he would have have ripped into you, tried to eat you, taken some flesh at least." She finally picked up her fork. "Well, I guess if this is the first you're hearing it, I know how it must sound."

Rick shot a look at the window. "They're out there now? In the street?"

"Yeah." She picked through her food. "They get more active after dark sometimes. Maybe it's the cool air or hell, maybe it's just me firing that gun today. But we'll be fine as long as we stay quiet. Probably wander off by morning. But listen, one thing I do know – don't you get bit. I saw your bandage and that's what we were afraid of. Bites kill you. The fever burns you out. But then after a while…you come back."

"I've seen it happen," the boy added with a sad look.

The woman stretched her hand across the table to squeeze his arm.

"Come on," she whispered picking up her uneaten dish.


	2. Hurt Will Come Easy

She was leaning her back up against a wall with her son nodding off in her lap. She cooled her fingers through his soft strands. Rick was on the other side of the room resting on a bunch of seat cushions. The faint sound of crickets made things almost normal, it was like he was back at home, but without Lori. Just her name did something to him. He needed to see her face again. He needed to hear her voice.

"Carl- is he your son?" it made him shutter. She noticed and felt guilty while adding. "Well, you – you said his name today."

Rick smiled. For the first time in the entire day he smiled. "He's a little younger than your boy."

She couldn't imagine how that felt to lose his son. She didn't want to know how it felt. "And he's with his mother?"

"I hope so," She gave him a small nod of insurance.

"Mom?"

"Hey," she cooed.

"Did you ask him," he yawned.

She smirked looking back at Rick. "Your gunshot? We've got a bet going. My son says you're a bank robber."

Rick laughed out loud. "Yeah, that's me, deadly as Dillinger. Kapow!" both son and mother chuckled.

"Sheriff's Deputy," he revealed. The kid's eyes grew wide in amazement.

"Uh huh?" the woman challenged. Rick twisted his head to the side playfully accepting it.

All at once, a car alarm blared through the house. The boy almost jumped out of skin.

"Hey. It's okay. I'm here. It's nothing. One of them must have bumped a car." She assured.

"Are you sure," Rick headed to look out the window but halted remembering what she had told him earlier.

"It happened once before. It went on for a few minutes. Get the light, Henry." Henry reached beside himself turning down the lantern. Rick did the same to one that was between him and the woman.

The alarm was so loud that Henry covered his ears. She got up where they were seated to take a look out the bay window, at the front of the house. Rick followed close behind, watching her remove the boards. After she peered outside she moved aside for Rick to look.

"It's the blue one, on the street. The same one as last time. I think we're okay,"

The street was crammed with shuffling corpses all snarling at the blue sedan. It was complete darkness past the blaring lights that flashed on and off. "That noise– won't it bring more of them?"

She placed her hands on her hips. "Nothing we can do about it now. Just have to wait them out till morning."

"She's here," shot a look to find Henry gasping at something in the window.

A walker with blonde hair made its way towards the porch. It opened its mouth to growl at the faded opening. Right in time the woman swiftly shut the blinds, every inch of them. "Don't look. Get away from the windows." She ordered. "Go."

Henry slowly backed away with tears forming in his eyes. He made his way back towards the padding and began crying. She followed him not only to comfort him but to make sure his whimpering wasn't heard. "Henry, Henry, quiet now." She wiped his tears. "Come on, quiet now. Shh shh." Rick abandoned the window for the for the front door. He looked out the peep hole to see it make its way towards the door. The woman spoke in hushed tones as Henry lied back in her lap.

"It's okay. Here, cry into the pillow. Do you remember? Shh shh," Henry accepted it and laid it over his face.

Still looking through the hole Rick eyed the walker mindlessly moving around. As soon as her hand reached to try the doorknob Rick stepped back as quietly as possible.

"She, um… She died in that other room on that bed in there. There was nothing I – I could do about it." Rick noticed whenever she got personal she would pinch her lips as if she ate something sour. "That fever, her skin gave off heat like a furnace." She glared in horror as if she was reliving the memory.

"I should've – I should've put her down. I should've put her down. I know that, but I – You know what? I just didn't have it in me. She's his birth mother."

Rick's widened. They looked so much alike, they even smiled alike. But then again you don't have to be blood to be family.

He twisted his fingers together watching the two curl up together as the muffled moaning and Henry's sobbing lingered through the night.


	3. You Die And You Learn

The women, Rick, and Henry exited out of the house as soon as morning hit. There were no walkers in sight, except for one, that's ribs got caught in a bloody picket fence. "Are you sure they're dead?"

She studied his hopeful face. "They're dead, except for something in the brain. That's why you make sure it's the brain." Rick approached the snarling walker alongside Henry, cheeks still puffy from last night. Henry handed over his bat. "You get this one," he said.

Rick shuffled the weapon in his hand and began swatting at it. The first two he missed. He grunted at the pain in his side. The third try, felt like a home run. The walkers brain almost fell out of his completely cracked skull. Rick collapsed in front of it out of breath. He heaved as if he was going to faint. "You alright?" she called.

"I need a moment," Henry nodded while retrieving his bat from him.

Moments later, they were walking back in to the house, together. "They're alive – my wife and son. At least they were when they left." She spun around at the sudden revelation.

"How can you know? By the look of this place – "

"I found empty drawers in the bedroom. They packed some clothes. Not a lot, but enough to travel."

"You know anybody could've broken in here and stole those clothes, right?" she warned trying her best not to sound harsh.

"People take framed photos on the walls? Our photo albums, family pictures – all gone." He snapped.

She laughed almost coldly. "They're in Atlanta I bet," Henry spoke before his mother could say something she'd regret.

"Why there?" he demanded.

"Refugee center. A huge one they said, before the broadcast stopped. Military protection, food, shelter. They told people to go there, said it'd be safest." She quoted.

"Plus they got that disease place."

"The Center for Disease Control. They're working out how to solve this thing." She rephrased.


	4. They,Them, or Us

Rick opened the door and his vision was flooded with light. They all cautiously stepped into the Sheriff's Department locker room, where Rick tried the showers. The water came out clean and strong. Henry grinned at his mom.

"Pilots still on," Rick told.

Henry soaked in the shower his eyes closed shut. His mother on the other hand washed the grim and dirt out of her dark locks. Rick stood in front of the mirror to shave. Little things can sure go a long way. After their shower, Rick and the women sat on a locker room bench. "Henry the dressing room is back there," Rick directed.

"What do we say Henry?"

"Thank you," Henry smiled.

"Mm-hmm,"

After a brief moment of silence Rick said. "Atlanta sounds like a good deal. Safer anyway – people,"

"That's where we were headed." She hummed. "Things got crazy. You wouldn't believe the panic. Streets weren't fit to be on. And then his –his mother couldn't travel. Not with her hurt. So we had to find a place to lay low. And then after she died, we just stayed hunkered down. I guess we just froze in place."

Rick nodded. "Plan to move on?"

"Haven't worked up to it yet," she admitted.

Rick was the last to change. He slipped on his uniform, straitened his badge and sighed. He was going to find Lori and Carl. He just had to. Nothing would stop him, not even the dead.

Henry and his mother waited outside for him holding hands. As soon as he returned she felt a relief lifted of her shoulders. Why? Because this man made her feel safe, especially now with the knowledge of him being a Sheriff.

"Cool," Henry gawked. Rick smiled

"Follow me," he led them both in to a weapon cage. Jackpot. "A lot of its gone missing."

Rick took a rifle down and checked it.

"Can I learn how to shoot? I'm old enough," Henry begged his mother.

Rick turned to watch her response. "Yeah, you're going to learn. But we have to do it carefully."

"That's right. It's not a toy. You pull the trigger; you have to mean it. Always remember that, Henry."

"Yes sir,"

Rick handed her a rifle with a scope. "Here. Load up, you take this one. Nothing fancy, the scope's accurate." He leaned closer to her. She looked intently at Rick and checked the weapon herself. Henry finished loading ammo while Rick looked at a shoot gun.

All of them hurried back to the lot with their hands full of supplies. Both mother and son followed close behind Rick. "Conserve your ammo. It goes faster than you think, especially at target practice." Rick veered back at them.

"Henry?"

"Uh-huh?"

She handed him a bag. "Take this to the back,"

"Okay,"

"Are you sure you won't be coming along?" Rick asked for the third time since the station.

"A few more days, by then Henry will know how to shoot," she smiled looking back at her son aimlessly tossing things in the trunk. Rick moved to open the patrol car door. He pulled out two black walkies-talkies handing one to her.

"You've got one battery I'll turn mine on a few minutes every day at dawn. You get up there, that's how you'll find me." He said pointing to higher ground.

"You think ahead," she said taking it from him.

"Can't afford not to, not anymore."

"Listen, one thing –They may not seem like much one at a time, but in a group, all riled up and hungry – You watch your ass." She put in.

"You too,"

She was expecting a firm handshake but instead Rick went in for a hug. He took her body in quickly and let her go carefully.

"You're a good man, Rick. I hope you find your wife and son." She said honestly. Rick looked down at his shoes trying to say something nice in return but he strained to think.  
Henry came and stood between him and his mother with a cheeky grin. "Be seeing you Henry," Rick brushed his hands through his hair. "Take care of your mother," he added sternly.

"Yes sir,"

As they are about to part ways the woman turned to look over her shoulder to catch a last glimpse of Rick, the man she saved. Quickly, she noticed his face expression change in to horror and looked further down the street to see a walker shuffling towards Rick.

"Leon Basset?"

She pulled Henry close to her.

"I didn't think much of him –Careless and dumb but I can't leave him like this," Rick moves around the car to get a better view.

The walker seemed to get angrier at the sight of him. He growled loudly, picking up his pace.

"You know they'll hear the shot." She cried.

"Let's not be here when they show up" something inside her body made her jump. He included 'them'.

She had a feeling he wasn't going to leave Henry and her. She hurried her son towards the car without giving it another thought. More were coming, she could hear their growls.

"Let's go. Come on." Rick maneuvered around to open the passenger side for them both.

Once they were shut in, she and Henry watched him make his way back to the walker who was nearly there. He aimed at its decaying forehead, then cocked the gun.  
Rick pulled the trigger on target. Henry flinched as the body felt lifeless to the ground.


	5. Dogs and Kids are the Best Judge

Rick drove through the neighborhood slowly. For the first time he actually got a glimpse of what the world was going to. Hell, was what it looked like. Suitcases were spread across lawns with contents spilling over. Doors were broken wide open and windows were smashed. Corpses covered the ground like grass. Rick eyed a blood soaked Dalmatian barking as he drove past.

"Mom the dog," Henry bleated.

She fixed a stare in his sharp eyes. "No,"

"We have to save who we can right? That's what you said, remember?" Rick peered at her with a quick shrug.

"If I get him you both stay seated," Rick ordered.

"No, you don't have to do that. He might have rabies or something," Henry gave her a look that no one could say no to. His brows furrowed, his thin lips pouted.

She sighed, tossing Rick an evil eye. She couldn't get to her son, so maybe she could get to the stranger.

"Like I said, stay seated," Rick opened the door quickly. He wasn't falling for it.

Henry reached his arm towards the driver's side, Click, the door was locked. "Henry you can't let other people risk their life for you," Henry opened his mouth but his mother brought up her index finger. "Especially people you don't know,"

"I would have done it but you would've let me," he explained with a wondering eye on Rick. "Besides mom he's a sheriff, technically that's his job,"

She tried thinking of a comeback but Henry was right. If the stranger had been telling the truth, he was a sheriff, which meant he had training. In world like this you needed some type of background. Honestly, before Rick had even showed up she was beginning to lose it, mentally. Physically, Regina had been strong. She knew how to shoot a gun. She knew how to fight. She knew how to survive. But on the other hand was Henry, who knew very little. He was just three months' shy of his fourteenth birthday, a pretty good baseball player, and a second year boy scout (which actually came handy at times).

She was willing to do anything to protect her son. Anything.

Rick caressed his handgun at his hip. If anything crazy was to happen he would be ready. He made his way a few feet down the street in front of a white porch house. The dog sat there obediently, its pink tongue fell out of his mouth, when he caught a glimpse of Rick moving towards him.

Rick halted in his tracks when he heard a small whine fall from his mouth.

"Hey, your fine," he soothed. "Someone wants to meet you." The dog barked wildly turning back to the busted door.

"Shh," Rick put a finger to his lips but it was too late. Two walkers had appeared out of no were moaning and snarling towards the scene.

"Shit, stay in the car Henry," she grabbed the boy's bat and almost kicked the door open. "Rick don't shoot," she cried at him, who was already aiming at one.

One walker's attention fell on the new company, his bloody mouth opened in excitement. Regina headed straight towards it, not even hesitating. She slammed the bat across his head as hard as she could. A loud crack sounded as she headed for the other closing on Rick. Rick backed out this women's way with his brow curved. Where did she learn to fight like that? After she beat the shit out of the other she pulled her neck length hair out of her eyes panting like crazy.

"Thank you," she heard the man say behind her.

"Where did the dog go?" she said ignoring her spasm.

Another bark shoot through the air, both of them looked in its the direction. "Hell with him, he'll just be a burden. He'll blow our cover." Rick almost laughed.

"Your boy would be very disappointed," she began smoothing the blood off her forearms, her fingers scratched at her skin desperately.

"He'll get over it." She said starting back towards the car.

"I'll get the dog you guys just sit tight," Why was he being such a hard ass? He was almost worse than her son.

"What's your name?" Rick dazed at her while she placed her hands on her hips. Had he been so caught up with everything that he failed to mention his name? Let alone learn hers, the women who saved him. He knew Henry's; well because she said it so much.

"Rick,"

"Rick," she repeated. "I'm Regina," he nodded. "I just wanted to know what to put on your tombstone above CAUSE OF DEATH 'catching a dog'," she pestered.

"I'll make it quick, Regina." he promised.


	6. UPDATE! ( READ)

I just wanted to inform everyone not to forget to review. I would like to hear your thoughts on the story. There will also be a voting going on about which OUAT character, you'd like to see appear. So, in the comments give me a character and they might be chosen to appear and stay in the story.

NOTICE: ALL CHAPTERS WILL BE EDITED.


	7. No Time For Waiting Around

"Hello. Hello. Can anybody hear my voice? Anybody out there? Anybody hear me, please respond. Hello, can you hear my voice?" Dale ceased picking the chips of paint off of the lawn seat he was settled in. "Hello. Hello. Can anybody hear my voice?" the walkie talkie blared again.

Amy, a few feet away, dropped an arm load of fire wood and rushed to his side. "Hey. Hello?" she cried through the radio.

"Can you hear my voice?" Dale scooted to the front of his seat. Someone was out there.

"Yes, I can hear you. You're coming through. Over," Amy's bottom lip twitched while casting a glance at the older man.

"If anybody reads please respond," the voice pleaded. "Broadcasting on emergency channel. Will be approaching Atlanta on Highway 85. If anybody reads, please respond."

"We're just outside the city," she tried again. "He can't hear us,"

Dale's hands snatched the radio. The thing had almost broken on them twice, he wasn't about to let their only chance of surviving or saving someone else fade. "Wait up," the girl said following him. "Where are you going?"

"We need a clearer signal," he reached his RV in no time. "Here hold this now, when I get up there toss it to me," Amy nodded. Dale climbed as fast as his aging body could take him to the very top. Once he was up Amy tossed the radio then started after.

"What's going on?" Shane, at the top, wandered over to the two with his hands placed cupping his hips.

"We got someone and they may be close by," Shane yanked the handheld mike without hesitation. "Hello, hello. Is the person who called still on the air? This is Officer Shane Walsh broadcasting to person unknown. Please respond." Amy sighed. The only thing on the other end was complete static. Things were all starting to become too predictable. A voice would come over every once in a while, they'd respond with hope but would receive nothing. It didn't feel like what it once felt; now it just made everyone in the camp more depressed.

"He's gone," Shane clipped the cord back to the radio's side.

"There are others not just us," Lori shielded her eyes to look up at three disappointed faces. Her son stood beside her with a bucket in his small fingers.

"We knew there would be, right? That's why we left the C.B. on." Dale added while maneuvering towards the ladder.

"A lot of good it's been doing," Amy mumbled behind him. Her blonde hair fell over her face as she jumped half way down.

"And I've been saying for a week we ought to put signs up on 85 to warn people away from the city." Lori reminded with her gaze focused on the distant skyscrapers.

"Folks got no idea what they're getting into." Amy began collecting the firewood she dropped from her excitement.

"Well, we haven't had time," All three of them looked up to Shane's built figure. He pressed his fingers through his thick hair before taking his position seated with a rifle at hand.

"I think we need to make time," Lori induced. Her hand rested on the young boy's shoulder.

"Yeah that – That's a luxury we can't afford. We are surviving here. We are day to day."

She rolled her eyes.

"And who the hell do you propose we send?" Dale cut in.

"I'll go, give me a car,"

Shane shook his head towards the women. "Nobody goes anywhere alone, you know that,"

"Yes, sir." She piped with the boy following after. Shane almost threw his rifle down to catch up to her heading towards camp.

Dale raised his eyebrows at the two.

"What, are you pissed at me?" Shane lowered his voice as he caught up.

As far as everyone knew, they just happened to know each other. Her husband worked with Shane and that was all. None of them noticed the kisses they would steal late at night, or the glances they would exchange, because Lori was married to Rick Grimes. And whether or not she didn't know if Rick was alive he was still out there. Somewhere.  
Shane on the other hand was convinced he didn't survive. There was no possible way. There were to many of the dead.

Lori continued to ignore him making her way in to her tent but Shane went in with her. "You can be pissed at me all you want. It's not gonna change anything," Lori spun around placing her hands on her hips. "I'm not putting you in danger, okay? I'm not doing it for anything. That make you feel like sometimes you want to slap me upside the head – Tell you what, girl– you feel that need, you go right ahead. I'm right here. Go on,"

Lori sighed heavily.

"You do it for him. That boy's been through too much and he's not losing his mother too, okay? Okay?" He was right. Carl had been through enough horror to last him for a lifetime. Although, a part of her still wanted to go out and help others. To find more people, if she was lucky she was hoping Rick would be one of them. She couldn't raise him alone.

"I'm a good mom," she whispered.

"Now tell me 'okay'," he begged.

She nodded. A low chuckle fell out of his mouth. He moved closer to Lori. Shane checked out the tent windows to see if anyone was about. Lori pushed her forehead against his sweaty one. She didn't want be alone. Before she knew it her lips were crashing into his, hungrily. Shane grabbed her face guiding her carefully.

"Mom," Lori pressed her palm to her forehead as he broke the kiss, hurrying out the opening.

Carl couldn't see her like this. Not while he believed Rick was coming for them.

"What's up bud? She's in there. Go on." Shane patted the boy's shoulder.

Her son's worried eyes fell onto hers.

Lori had to move on, she had to be strong now. Rick wasn't here. "Hey, I don't want you to worry. Your mama's not going anywhere, okay? Yeah?"

Carl grinned with his small arms open for a hug. "Go finish your chores," she kissed his cheek

"Okay,"


End file.
